Research conducted by Ofcom indicates that the average UK broadband connection is now capable of downloading data at 9.0Mbps.

This represents a rise of 1.4Mbps compared to the previous study conducted in autumn 2011.

Between November 2010 and May 2012, average download speeds increased from 6.2Mbps to 9.0Mbps, allowing consumers and businesses to do more online.

The significant investment in fibre-optic technology made by the likes of BT and Virgin Media has helped to increase UK broadband speeds.

While super-fast broadband adoption rates remain low, households and businesses are gradually coming to realise the benefits of such connections.

Ed Richards, Chief Executive at Ofcom, said the move to faster broadband services is "gathering momentum".

"Consumers are benefitting from network upgrades and the launch of new super-fast packages, giving them faster speeds and greater choice," he stated.

"We are continuing to work with the advertising code-writing bodies and internet service providers to ensure that speeds advertised reflect actual speeds experienced."

This gives consumers the ability to make informed decisions when shopping around to find the most suitable package, he stated.

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2012-08-16 13:30:12David Harrington, leader for regulatory affairs at the Communications Management Association, told PC Pro that unused fibre cables would help reduce costs for end users.

He explained that dark fibre is provided as an end-to-end route, and the user puts their own equipment on the end.

"The attraction of dark fibre is really to avoid the relatively heavy costs applied by traditional suppliers and particularly the incumbents," Mr Harrington stated.

He said that BT is reluctant to provide dark fibre because it cannibalises its Ethernet and leased line offerings.

"BT has been very persuasive in convincing Ofcom that its point of view is valid, saying that its business case would be severely damaged if it was compelled to offer dark fibre," Mr Harrington added.

He said that Geo Networks is currently the biggest dark fibre provider, although there are others on an internet service provider level offering smaller local networks.

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2012-08-15 15:08:56fibre cables and other next-generation technologies are deployed by network operators.

The latest State of the Internet Report from Akamai Technologies indicates that the average connection speed worldwide is now 2.6Mb.

This represents a 0.3Mb increase on the 2.3Mb average recorded during the final quarter of 2011.

In terms of broadband speeds, the UK has the 21st fastest average connection speeds, the study indicated.

However, capabilities are rising in the UK as infrastructure specialists such as BT and Virgin Media invest more in super-fast broadband.

The broadband providers are rolling out fibre-optic technology across their networks in a bid to bring the benefits of super-fast services to households and businesses.

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2012-08-13 13:05:46fibre cables connecting the site's servers were accidentally cut.

The online encyclopaedia was inaccessible for two hours on Monday August 6th after the cables were severed at the site's Florida data centre.

A spokesperson for Wikipedia said there is no suggestion of foul play, with the outage believed to have been caused by human error.

He said that two overland cables were cut between Tampa and Virginia, forcing the website's server down for just over an hour.

It then took another hour to bring the website back online.

The last time Wikipedia experienced an extended outage, it was deliberate.

Website founder Jimmy Wales took the site offline for 24 hours in protest at the debate of US anti-piracy laws.

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2012-08-07 12:44:09Cat 6 cables can have a variety of uses as part of a home or business network, it has been suggested.

Writing for eHow, Maxwell Payne explained that this type of cable connects devices such as cable modems, DSL modems and wall-mounted LAN connections to routers.

It can also be used to connect a computer directly to a router or LAN connection, he explained.

Mr Payne noted that category 6 cables can handle a number of different Ethernet connections, such as 10Base-T, 100Base-TX and 1000Base-T.

"Category 6 cable technology can transmit data and voice information at speeds of up to 155Mbps," he added.

"It also has stricter standards as a cable type when it comes to system static, noise, and crosstalk compared to older Cat cable technology."

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2012-08-07 12:42:28According to the Digital Policy Alliance (DPA), the Con-Lib coalition needs to ensure faster broadband speeds are delivered nationwide.

The DPA was commenting after the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications criticised the government for funding new fibre cables in city locations while some areas of the countryside remain without service.

Edward Phelps, secretary general of the DPA, said the government "urgently" needs to review its strategy for the rollout of faster broadband services.

"Government has failed to inject competition into the broadband market leaving many innovative providers unable to offer their services," he stated.

"The current approach would appear completely at odds with the localism agenda."

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2012-08-06 13:19:32Earlier this week, the Select Committee on Communications claimed that the government should focus more on improving broadband coverage than achieving faster speeds.

At present, speeds of up to 300Mbps are deliverable in some urban areas using fibre cables, however some parts of the countryside still have no access, or very slow internet services.

CLA deputy president Henry Robinson said that although hundreds of millions of pounds is being poured into building a better broadband network, rural areas are largely ignored by the major service providers.

“Recognition by the Lords Committee that access is more important than speed is extremely welcome," Mr Robinson stated.

He claimed that other broadband technologies - such as wireless, mobile and satellite - should be used to bring faster broadband to areas where fibre cables are commercially unviable.

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2012-08-02 14:21:36A House of Lords select committee has claimed the Con-Lib coalition lacks strategy for the delivery of fibre cables and other super-fast broadband technologies nationwide.

The peers believe the government has become too preoccupied with download speeds, and as a result, is overlooking the need to deliver 100 per cent coverage.

So while businesses and households in urban areas are gaining access to faster and faster broadband services - supported by fibre cables - those based in the countryside are missing out.

The select committee said the government needs to view faster broadband as being a key national asset, which should be available to all users.

Select committee chairman Lord Inglewood said the government is "quite right" to make broadband a policy priority.

He noted that barely an aspect of UK life has not been touched in some way by the internet in recent years.

But as more services are delivered online - including critical public services - there is a risk that some consumers will be marginalised or excluded altogether.

"If broadcast services move to be delivered via the internet, for example, as we believe they may be, then key moments in national life such as the Olympics could be inaccessible to communities lacking a better communications infrastructure," Lord Inglewood stated.

"It is far from clear that the government's policy will deliver the broadband infrastructure that we need - for profound social and economic reasons - for the decades to come," he added.

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2012-07-31 12:06:36Fibre cables have been used to roll out ultra-fast broadband services at Hesslewood Country Office Park in Hull, it has been reported.

Companies based at the site, off Ferriby Road in Hessle, can now take advantage of up to 100Mbps download speeds.

Local broadband provider KC has installed fibre cables at the site, allowing resident firms to make the most of the modern internet.

Some 33 local businesses will have the opportunity to benefit from ultra-fast download speeds and faster uploads.

Gary Young, director of business markets at KC, said the firm is aiming for local businesses to be the best-connected in the UK.

"We're looking forward to making KC Business Lightstream available to more of our customers over the months ahead," he added.

KC is aiming to deliver fibre broadband to 15,000 homes in Hull and the surrounding area by the end of the year, will more locations set to be announced in due course.

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2012-07-30 11:53:18fibre cables coverage to two rural communities in north-east Lincolnshire.

Households and businesses in the communities of Habrough and Stallingborough are set to gain access to up to 120Mb download speeds.

The investment comes following a lengthy campaign organised by community engagement group One Voice.

Virgin Media spokesperson Duncan Watts said the company was "delighted" to confirm the rollout of high-speed services in the area.

"We will be extending our fibre-optic network to bring super-fast broadband and next-generation TV services to the residents of Habrough and Stallingborough, he stated.

"As the project will require significant construction, we are currently working through the planning stages and liaising with the local council to seek approvals for the works required."

Mr Watts said the company will begin scheduling its broadband rollout as soon as possible.

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2012-07-24 14:27:34Cat 6 cables give network operators a much wider range of options when it comes to transmitting data, it has been suggested.

Writing for eHow, Frank Gates explained that category 6 cables are capable of transmitting data up to ten times faster than their category 5 predecessors.

Category 6 cables can operate at speeds of 10 Gigabits per second, while category 5 cables have a maximum potential of 1,000 Gbps or 1 Gigabit per second.

"This is a significant specification advantage in terms of transmission speed over the cable," he added.

Mr Gates noted that category 5 is specified to operate within the frequency range of 1-100 MHz while Cat 6 operates within the 1-250 MHz range.

Writing for the news provider, Katie Strzeszewski noted that Cat 6 equipment is "slightly more high-tech than necessary" for the ordinary user.

However, this gives them added potential as bandwidth demands increase in the future.

"The category 6 cable originated in the early 2000s, and though it has not yet surpassed category 5 or 5e in popularity, it is gaining momentum," Ms Strzeszewski stated.

She said it works best when all the computers and peripherals in a network work at gigabit or higher speeds, which means the cable is "ideal for use" when building a new computer network.

Cat 6 cabling is backwards compatible, Ms Strzeszewski explained, meaning the cables use the same type of plug and port as category 5 wiring and there is no need to replace existing connections.

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2012-07-20 11:55:00fibre optic cables for super-fast broadband in another three Essex villages, following a local campaign.

Three new street cabinets have been placed in Kirby-le-Soken, Kirby Cross and Great Holland in order to bring the benefits of fibre broadband to local homes and businesses.

BT had originally planned to exclude the communities from its fibre broadband rollout due to the "technical challenges" associated with deploying next-generation services in the area.

However, Tendring District Council reached an agreement with the telecoms giant which saw the three villages receive a significant broadband investment.

Neil Stock, Leader of the council, said that residents, businesses and councillors representing the villages were "upset and felt they were being left out and disadvantaged" when the original coverage announcement was made.

"We spoke to BT about the situation and despite the technical challenges they faced by including Kirby-le-Soken, Kirby Cross and Great Holland they have made it happen," he stated.

"BT went back and looked at the various options available to them and it has now been revealed that the upgrade will be extended. It will be a boost to the local economy and improve people’s quality of life.”

Annette Thorpe, BT’s Regional Partnership Director, noted that in some instances it is not commercially or technically viable to deploy cabinets.

"However, we are pleased that after a detailed review, on this occasion, we have been able to include the cabinets originally omitted," she noted.

BT is in the process of investing £2.5 billion upgrading its broadband network to support super-fast download speeds.

The service provider wants two-thirds of the UK population to have access to its fibre broadband network by the end of 2014.

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2012-07-18 14:28:59Fibre-optic cables and other solutions are needed to meet the future broadband needs of UK homes and businesses, it has been claimed.

Kcom board director and broadband head Kevin Walsh claimed that existing copper networks will not be able to cope with rising usage.

Speaking to the Guardian, he noted that copper came about for carrying voice, not data.

"We are right at the limit of copper," Mr Walsh stated.

Copper broadband is capable of delivering up to 24Mbps broadband speeds, but as usage demands increase, networks are being put under greater pressure.

By comparison, fibre-to-the-cabinet broadband connections can now deliver up to 300Mbps - allowing businesses and consumers to take advantage of a full range of online services.

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2012-07-17 13:16:28Cat 6 variety in order to future-proof their networks, it has been claimed.

Writing for Macworld, networking commentator Nick Broughall said it is "pretty important" to select the right type of cable given that Ethernet is needed to connect to the internet and transmit data.

He explained that there are three types of cables used for Ethernet connectivity at present - Cat 5, Cat 5e and Cat 6.

"All of them use four twisted pairs of cable to transmit data with a minimum of electromagnetic interference and crosstalk," Mr Broughall noted.

He noted that the main difference between them is that Cat 6 offers better performance, largely due to a slightly thicker cable size.

"While Cat5 is sufficient for current Ethernet connectivity, if you’re looking to install a wired home network, opt for Cat 6 to future-proof your work," the commentator urged.

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2012-07-13 12:59:31Fibre cables delivered direct to the premises are capable of providing the fastest fixed broadband services in the UK.

In terms of fibre broadband services, households and businesses have two options.

Firstly, they can take advantage of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) services, which are currently capable of delivering up to 330Mb download speeds.

With FTTP broadband, fibre connections are used between the local telephone exchange and the street cabinet, and the street cabinet and end user.

Where fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) connections exist, copper connections are used between the street cabinet and end user.

This slows down the connection speed - however FTTC customers are still able to download at up to 80Mb.

Both options allows businesses and households to access ultra-fast broadband speeds, however not every UK premises is currently in a networked area.

The government is working alongside the private sector in a bid to improve fibre broadband coverage, but at present many homes and businesses remain reliant upon ADSL networks.

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2012-07-11 13:43:02Cat 6 cables helped broadcast live coverage of Euro 2012 matches from the Narodowy National Stadium in Warsaw, it has been reported.

Swiss cabling specialist R&M installed the network cables at the ground- the largest building in Poland.

Voice & Data explained that the backbone of the national stadium is based on 72-fibresingle mode optic cables.

The news provider said the redundant cabling is led through separate routes to minimise the risk of failure.

Gaurav Ahuwalia, managing director at R&M explained that his firm understands the importance of secure data transfer at a high-speed in order to broadcast live football in real-time.

"This project is a fantastic example to be quoted to our prospective customers, which will time and again prove the quality of R&M," he stated.

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2012-07-06 11:43:42Fibre cables are helping to attract new global broadband subscribers, it has been claimed.

Martyn Hudson of Plusnet noted that more than 600 million people have now signed up for fixed broadband services around the world.

And a small - but fast-growing - proportion of global customers are now using fibre-optic cables to achieve faster download speeds.

"One of the main things fuelling broadband’s accelerated growth is a need for speed," Mr Hudson wrote in the Plusnet blog.

"Super-fast fibre is becoming increasingly popular with homeowners and businesses."

In the UK, BT is aiming to provide fibre coverage for two-thirds of the UK population by the end of 2014.

And rival firm Virgin Media is also rolling out fibre cables in earnest, with more than ten million properties passed by its network.

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2012-07-05 15:14:16fibre cables.

The firm has activated its broadband speed upgrade on its Fibre-to-the-Premises (TFFP) network, with homes and businesses served by 15 exchanges able to take advantage.

Mike Galvin, managing director for network investment at BT Openreach, said the commercial launch of FTTP is "a major milestone" for the firm.

"We believe that Fibre-to-the-Cabinet will provide speeds that are suitable for consumers for some time," he stated.

"[But] these FTTP products will allow communication providers to offer small enterprises and other bandwidth-hungry users the option of even higher speeds – some of the fastest in the world – and build propositions which help to grow the market for these higher-speed services," he stated.

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2012-07-04 14:35:32fibre cables and other solutions used to deliver super-fast broadband.

He noted that the rollout of faster broadband is akin to the development of the canals and railways during the Industrial Revolution in terms of impact on people's lives.

Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Mr Smith said faster broadband is helping to change people's lives in the county.

"We are now on the brink of transforming the economic prospects for the northern part of our region," he commented.

The European Commission wants every EU citizen to have access to 30Mbps broadband services by the end of the decade.

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2012-07-03 13:16:08data cabinets and server racks, strong connectivity is essential.

Businesses need to have suitable broadband or Ethernet connections, allowing them to transfer data up and downstream.

An increasing number of businesses are choosing to place some of their data in the cloud, supported by hardware in off-premise data centres.

This allows them to cope with rapidly growing data volumes, meaning they do not have to continue increasing the size of their data centres.

But in order to capitalise on the opportunities afforded by the cloud, strong connectivity is a pre-requisite.

The wider availability of fibre cables is helping businesses to boost their connection speeds and reliability, and make full use of a rage of online services.

BT is aiming to roll-out super-fast broadband services to two-thirds of the UK by 2015.

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2012-07-02 13:32:10